Chapter 21: Edges of a Knife

"We are all like the bright moon, we still have our dark side."

- Kahlil Gibran

-Faction 3: Dark Forest-

Theodore sat on a cold, grey rock, watching as the others huddled together and exchanged whispers. He was happy that they were all able to be reunited, but his thoughts lingered to Celina. Celina, the woman who had saved him and gave him a will to live. The woman who warned him of the darkness that swirled on his body.

"Hey, Theo… You good?" His thoughts were interrupted as Simon sat next to him, a reassuring smile painted on his lips. "Yeah, thanks." Theodore smiled back.

"Hellooooo…" The group gave each other confused looks as a voice that sounded like a bad ghost imitation came from the trees. "It is I," the voice whispered, "the ghost of… Britt I need a cool ghost name… Um…" Miri giggled quietly, "Alvin stop messing around…" Brittany's voice rang, followed by a chuckle as the two emerged into the other's views.

"Nice of you two to finally join us," Simon said, smiling at his friends, a look of guilt appeared on his features as he met Brittany's angered eyes. Jeanette's eyes took in the dark blood splatter that coated Brittany's neck. "What happened…?" Her voice sounded like she didn't really want to know the answer.

Brittany shrugged, looking at Alvin, "Hm. Girls that Roul seemed to lead on wanted their revenge." Alvin pinched the bridge of his nose as he breathed out, flinging his arm around Brittany's shoulder, "But," He held up on finger, "but, Ma'lady came to my rescue and cleared my name." He gave Jeanette a cheesy smile as Brittany rolled her eyes, shrugging his arm off of her body.

The group was quiet, interrupted by Brittany's worried tone, "Where's Sam…" Everyone shook their heads, unaware of his whereabouts. "He never fails to meet up when told to." Where are you, Sam? Her heart sank a bit as she realized her friend would more than likely not make it to the forest.

"Ellie isn't here either… We have to push forward." Simon said as he looked to the ground, Jeanette squeezing his hand to ease his panic. Alvin clapped his hands together to get the group up and moving, "Welp, Eleanor would want us to go on with the plan… So, let's do it." Theodore stood, shaking his head in agreement.

"Theo," Theodore perked up, "you and I are going to try and jump into the palace." Alvin turned to Jeanette and Simon, "Fire and Ice team," Simon rolled his eyes at Alvin's name decision, "you two will sneak in from the side. I think there's a back entrance that isn't heavily guarded. Darklings burn easily, but ice shards would more than likely kill them too." Jeanette chuckled and Simon sighed, "Oh maybe. An ice shard to the heart probably doesn't do much damage." It was sarcastic, a smirk on his lips.

Alvin blinked at his brother, smirking back. "Miri and Taylor. You two enter the palace through the front. Miri, persuade the guards to let you in and Taylor, use the Northside rebellion as some type of excuse?" Taylor shrugged and agreed. "Sure, we can say we need aide, or have decided to surrender to the crown."

Taylor received a reassuring look from Alvin. "Yes, perfect. Awesome. Amazing. Keep shining. Best bo-" "Alvin! On track please!" Alvin flashed Miri an apologetic smile, "right, sorry."

"Britt, you do what you do best." She gave him a weird look, "You know? Climb things and kill shit." Brittany sighed, "Okay. But if Sam is in there, I'm reeeaaally going in and taking care of business." The group didn't argue, knowing how much he meant to her.

"Alvin?" Miri said, "Isn't Marla in there? On the other side…?" Alvin nervously fiddled his thumbs, "true… She'd know all about us too. I guess… Kill her if you get the chance…" Miri looked to the ground, understanding what was at stake. "If you guys see Eleanor, grab her and run." Theodore said.

The group awkwardly stood in silence, waiting for someone to make the first move. "Okay so do we like… Clap our hands and say break or…?" Jeanette asked.

"… See you guys in there." Brittany said flatly, slipping into the dark shadows of the forest with her cloak pulled up. Alvin watched her go.

Miri raised an eyebrow at her leader, "Spill it." He gave her a confused look, "We'll talk later. Gives me motivation to survive." Miri said as she grabbed Taylor's hand and headed to the front of the palace. Simon and Jeanette followed, heading in the opposite of the direction to the back.

"Welp, here goes nothing…" Theodore said, closing his eyes as Alvin placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Let's Jump." Alvin dramatically whispered before the two were sent into a swirling fall.

-Dark Palace Entrance-

Taylor and Miri walked to the dark palace entrance hand in hand. The pair finding it hard to be separated since the night they were reunited. "You think we got this?" Taylor whispered as the Darkling guards came into view. "Of course," Miri said confidently, "No one can resist me in this faction." She winked at him.

"You two!" One of the guards stated. He wore black armor plates with a deep red color outlining the edges. "What is your business here?" Taylor and Miri stopped in front of them, the guards blocking them from the entrance.

"We are… We're from faction 1." That caught the guard's attention. Miri felt a shiver crawl up her spine as the swirling grey eyes looked her up and down. Creepy… "Jumper?" Both shook their heads. Showtime, Miri thought.

"We don't really know how we got here…" She dug deep within herself, tapping into her ability and pushing the guard to believe her. "We just woke up a bit confused. We've heard the crown has been visiting and we thought it would be best to alert them that…" She looked to Taylor for assistance.

"…That the rebellion of the Northside has decided to give up," Taylor's voice was empty, sad that he had to admit something was over… Something he had worked so hard to build.

The guards exchanged glances, the pull of Miri's persuasion obviously having some type of effect. "Hm. I suppose you two are good to go…" The guards stepped aside, allowing the two access entrance.

With her arm in Taylor's, Miri stood straighter as she pulled him with her. "Thank you. Thank you…" She acted as if it was the last hope the two had.

After walking through the doors, the heavy wood slammed shut behind them. Darkness seemed to cover the room like a fog, the air feeling heavy. "Weird," Taylor whispered, "I can see fine, but…" He couldn't find the words. "But you can feel the darkness," Miri finished his sentence, her brown eyes looking around and taking in the grand entrance of the palace.

"Spooky, right?" Taylor nudged Miri, a small smile on his face. Miri agreed, giggling softly "Very. Let's stay focused, okay?" The two silently made their way deeper into the palace, coming to a split. "Left or right?" Miri asked. Taylor hesitated, deciding on the left. Agreeing on the direction, they made their way down the cold, dark hallway.

-Back Entrance-

Jeanette and Simon stopped before the back entrance, Jeanette pulling closer to him for warmth as the cold night hugged her tighter. "Should we make sure it's clear?" Jeanette whispered. Simon gave her shoulder a squeeze, "I'm sure it's fine…" But his words didn't sound as confident as he had hoped. Her eyes looked to him, searching for reassurance.

"Hey… We'll be alright," he placed a soft kiss on her lips, brushing her hair behind her ear. Jeanette gave him a shaky smile, "I just… Simon don't give in if she calls to you…" He knew she meant Lillian, the woman who had a grip on his mind. "She doesn't call for me anymore," his reply concerned him more now that he said it out loud. Who else did she find… Not wanting to talk about what could happen anymore, Jeanette slipped through the door.

The pair was instantly met by a cold, wet air. Jeanette's stray strands of hair stuck to her cheeks, her breath visible as it left her lips. "It's cold…" her whispers even echoed off of the stone walls, the hall seeming to have no end. Simon stood still, taking in as much of his surroundings as his eyes would allow. "And dark," his whispered echoed as well, his words swirling in his ears.

"Aha!" Jeanette giggled, snapping as a flame formed on her finger, lighting a small amount of space around them. Simon gave her an excited smile, happy to have at least some idea of what the cold hall looked like.

The walls were dark stone, slick from the moisture that somehow seemed to settle in the space around them. Simon breathed in, crunching his nose as the stale air rushed down his throat. "Where are we…" Jeanette shrugged, "Alvin didn't say where it lead but…" as the two walked, cells with metal bars passed them, "it seems like we are in some type of prison?" Jeanette said, moving the flame from her finger to her palm, making it a bit brighter.

Simon let out a shaky breath, remembering what it was like to be imprisoned by the crown. Suddenly, a sharp wind flowed down the damp hall, extinguishing Jeanette's flame. Annoyed, Jeanette snapped her fingers, her flame catching but not remaining. "Just let me…" She snapped one last time, focusing, and the flame ignited brighter than usual.

"Ah!" Jeanette let out a scream, clinging to Simon as a face looked at her through the cold bars of a cell from the light of her flame. Simon pushed Jeanette behind him, his arms out protectively as a shard of ice formed in his hand from the moisture in the air. "P-Please…" the voice stuttered as the figure seemed to sink to her knees, "i-it's me…" Her voice was shaky, her breathing uneven.

Jeanette gasped, pushing Simon to the side and causing him to drop his ice. "Elli!" The woman's voice was full of worry as she picked a loose stone from the wall to smash the lock with. It shattered beneath the force. "Simon," she turned to him, "a little help, please?" "Right…" Simon quickly rushed to her side, pushing the call door open as Jeanette slipped through to Eleanor's side. She knelt by her, tears threatening to spill as Eleanor shook underneath her. She warmed her hands with fire from within, feeling Eleanor relax under her touch.

"Eleanor…" She whispered, "what happened to you?" Eleanor looked up at her, dirt smeared across her face. "They caught us… Sam and I. We tried to run but…" She coughed, her chest heaving with each breath, "but she has some type of hold over him…" She leaned against Jeanette, "we need to alert the others… There's no way we can win." Her voice was full of defeat.

Simon stood over her, his arms crossed as he watched her closely, "No… There's a way to beat her hold." Eleanor looked up at Yamato, listening closely. "Sam needs to fight, she can't just…" He searched for the right words, finding it difficult to explain. Eleanor shook her head, "Simon it's a different type of hold. Sam… Sam is still mentally aware of what is happening. It's his body that she has. He struggled and tried, but his screams…" Eleanor looked away, not wanting to revisit the sound of pain and ripping as Sam's muscles were willed against him.

Jeanette rubbed Eleanor's back, coaxing her to stand, "The best we can do is try, Elli. Besides, the others are already on their way to their assigned places." Eleanor nodded, leaning on Jeanette as she willed herself to heal with her ability. The trio stood in silence as Eleanor regained her composure, a light breath leaving her lips as she opened her eyes. "Alright," Eleanor said quietly, "what part of the plan are we in?"

Simon hugged her as Jeanette helped the blonde out of the cell, happy to see his friend alive. "We're in charge of clearing Darklings," Eleanor chuckled, "Well lucky for you two, there are a ton just outside those doors…"

Her smiled fell to a concerned frown, "but they were assigned to make sure I don't escape…" She scratched the back of her head nervously, "and I don't fight well…" Simon patted her back, chuckling lightly, "Hey. You'll be just fine. You've got team fire and ice on your side!" He pointed to himself and Jeanette. Eleanor rolled her eyes, "please don't let Alvin give any of us team names ever again."

"Agreed," Jeanette said, smiling as she hesitated at the door to the dungeon.

"Well, here goes nothing?" Jeanette said, reaching for the knob as she formed a ball of fire in her other hand. Simon nodded, feeling the ice begin to course through his veins as she pushed the door open.

Darklings swarmed them as the door opened Jeanette flung fire from her finger tips, the end result being a writhing body falling to the ground followed by a scream. Simon stood by Eleanor, flinging ice shards left and right as he took down a few attackers.

The two had taken down at least fifty or so Darklings, bodies and ash scattering the slick stone tiles beneath their feet as they pushed forward quickly. Jeanette smiled over her shoulder at Simon, feeling like she could relate to the rush Brittany must feel after fighting. Little did she know, Brittany never fought for the rush. She fought for survival.

"Oh no…" The trio stopped as a man's voice echoed down the hall, "what do we have here…" A man appeared at the end of the hall, his silver hair shining in the darkness. "I was so worried I'd never see you two again. And taking a prisoner with you? How fun." His catlike smile stretched across his face.

"Magnus," Simon said, stepping in front of the other two.

"How kind! My old pet remembers me." Magnus said sarcastically as he quickly approached them. Simon went to pull water from the ground, stopping in shock as Magnus seemed to form fire and ice in his hands, "Surprise." That was the last thing Simon heard before he felt a sharp pain shoot through the side of his head, knocking him unconscious.

-Dark Palace Library-

"Whoa!" The two men fell out of a shelf, their bodies hitting the ground in a loud huff. "That was… That was a rough journey…" Alvin sat up, rubbing his arm as Theodore sat up slowly.

"Yeah, the Jumping seems to be getting harder," Theodore replied, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to his feet. The man looked around, realizing he was in the middle of a large library. "Didn't take Kamus to be much of a reader…"

Alvin looked around, his eyes running up and down the tall, black shelves, "I didn't take anyone in this faction to be much of a reader from the looks of Roul's publishing sales." Theodore chuckled at the comment, stretching his arms to his side as he adjusted to the dark room.

Alvin stood in silence, "You know Theo, I was kind of hoping we'd end up in a more convenient place of the palace. Not the… Library…" He was obviously annoyed, "guess we'll have to work with what we were given…" Theodore shrugged as he followed Alvin, the two slipping into the hall.

The two made it about halfway down before they ran into a panicked Marla. "Marla!" Alvin said, readying himself to fight the traitor. He hesitated, the woman a mess in front of him as she crumbled to the floor. "I'm so sorry…" She heaved.

Alvin shook his head, kneeling next to her, "Marla it's okay… I'm sure you didn't.." She interrupted him, "No… They killed her. She… She's dead." Theodore frowned, joining the two on the ground, "Who?" Marla breathed in, "Brittany."

-1 Hour Before: The Palace Walls-

Brittany grunted as she scaled the cold stones of the palace yet again. She pulled herself up, hissing in pain as her cold fingertips clenched the sharp edges of a stone. She swung across to a windowsill, feeling something pull her to enter the room.

She lifted the window quietly, slinking under the glass as her feet lightly padded onto the dark carpet of what appeared to be a study. I'm coming Sam, Brittany gave herself a small pep talk as she crouched to stay in hiding. Two Darklings crossed the doorway, meeting their deaths as she silently slit their throats. Smiling at her success, Brittany whipped out two more daggers before letting her cloak fall to the ground, exposing the slick back suit that hugged her body like a second skin. I want to be noticed. Brittany was tired of hiding. If she was going to kill the things that changed her life for the worse five years ago, she wanted them to see her face.

Hurrying down the hall, Brittany killed a few more guards, their bodies falling easily. "Strange," she heard the voice of a woman, "I'd thought you'd be better at sneaking around." Brittany turned, her daggers ready. "I'm not trying to be silent." Her words were strong, a smirk on her lips. The woman behind her was Marla.

"Brittany, is it?" Brittany watched the armored clad woman as she circled the assassin, "I always thought Lanus's prized killer would be a man." Brittany knew this. Everyone thought that.

"Surprise," Brittany said dryly, "he's actually a very petite woman." Marla chuckled, "Hm… I like you. I wish I didn't crave your death everyday…" Brittany gave the woman a look, unsure of what she meant. "My death? Marla, you worked for the rebellion. I'm not sure I understand…"

Marla stopped walking, her long sword drawn and by her side, "I did…" her voice was dark, "and I enjoyed everyone I worked with until you showed up." Brittany crouched defensively. "You. You killed my father. An innocent man who never deserved to die at the hands of an assassin." Ah. That was it. "Marla, I've killed a lot of people. Most of them never deserved it." Brittany said, anger in her voice.

"Then why'd you do it?" Marla said quietly, Brittany could have sworn she saw a tear fall from her cheek. Brittany stood still, angry, "Survival. I never enjoyed killing the innocent. It was either me or them." Kill him. Your life and Sam's depends on it, Lanus had told her.

Marla laughed, looking up to the ceiling, "Selfish. So selfish. Do they know how selfish you are? Do they know how much you've truly changed since the reckoning five years ago?" Marla was slowly closing in on Brittany, "Why would you want to live as a monster? Why!" Marla swung her sword as Brittany easily dodged, catching Marla's calf with her dagger, skin slicing beneath her blade.

"Marla," Brittany breathed, holding her hands up in an attempt to calm the woman, "I hated myself more and more every time I completed a mission," she dodged another swipe. "Like, why was I so lucky to survive a mission? Why did I get to wake up the next day?" Marla charged again, the trained assassin moving like liquid away from the sword. "You think I like who I am now? I'm sorry about your father. I truly am! Here," Brittany dropped her daggers as she held her hands up, "Kill me if you want, my life ended when Lanus found me in that alleyway…" Tears stained Brittany's cheeks.

Marla's chest rose and fell heavily, the anger melting as the words Brittany said slipped through her mind. Marla shook her head, "No… It's not fair…" She threw her sword to the side and Brittany stood still, "I'm so sorry. I acted out of anger and I hope you can forgive me." Brittany was confused, didn't she wanted her dead? "It's okay I jus-"

"Stop," the voice belonged to a man. Brittany's eyes shot open as the recognition set in. "Let me do it…" His words were shaky and pained. Marla moved to grab Brittany, catching her in her state of shock, cuffing her hands behind her back.

"Sam…?" Brittany said, her breathing shaky as she watched the only friend she ever allowed herself to have stand in front of her with a dagger raised. They'll always betray you. "I'm so sorry…" His words came out, muffled by sobs. Brittany could sense the pain that flowed through his body as he dug the dagger deep between her ribs. A deadly blow that Lanus had gone over many times with the two of them.

Her eyes widened as she felt the warm blood slide down inside of her suit, the taste of blood in her mouth as it began to drip down her lips. Sam's face was covered in tears as sobs racked his body. "Brittany, please forgive me I am…" a sob again as he twisted the dagger, "I am so so sorry."

Brittany shook her head, uttering a few final words, "Lanus was right… Everyone betrays you…" The last thing she saw was Sam falling to the ground next to her, his form seizing as an electrical shock flowed through it a silver haired women behind him with a catlike smile.

The one time she didn't fight back. The one time she allowed someone close enough and not use violence, she was betrayed. She felt light, the weight of the kills she had inflicted, the loneliness that plagued her for five years seemed to melt away with her breathing. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but a hand was on her side, healing her. Brittany opened her eyes, expecting Eleanor. They came back for me, she smiled, opening her eyes to meet those of the color silver. Magnus. "We thought you'd never wake up," he said. "Too bad you're going to wish you didn't," Lillian said.

Brittany felt her body want to stand against her will. She fought it the best she could, realizing the electricity and pain that shot through her was too much for her will along with the wound Sam had given her. "Now," Lillian said, "let's put the skills Lanus taught you to good use…"